Jharkhand on look out for win against Goa

November 19, 2012 20:11 IST

Led by skipper Shahbaz Nadeem's five-for, Jharkhand are eyeing an outright victory against Goa as they finished the third day of their Ranji Trophy Group C match in Jamshedpur on a strong position after forcing the visitors to follow on.

At the close of play, Goa were trailing by 136 runs. However, the visitors had all their wickets intact ahead of a gruelling final day.

Starting the day at 24 for one in response to the hosts' first-innings total of 360, the visitors lost wickets at regular intervals to lend Jamshedpur the upper hand.

Overnight batsmen Swapnil Asnodkar and Manvinder Bisla started cautiously, adding 28 runs for the second wicket. But the fall of Bisla in the 19th over of the Goa innings triggred a batting collapse. The visitors lost four wickets for an addition of 28 runs.

With the score board reading 72 for five, it was left to the lower middle-order to bail the team out of crisis.

Ravikant Shukla (64) and Rohit Asnodkar added 78 runs for the sixth wicket before Nadeem broke the partnership, getting one past through the defence of Shukla.

Rohit (39) followed suit few overs later to give Nadeem his third wicket.

Goa tail-enders, led by captain Shadab Jakati, tried desperately to hang on, but Nadeem and company proved plentiful for the visitors as they finally folded on 208, leaving the hosts with just enough to impose a follow on.